Under current surgical procedures, tissue that is to be removed from the body during laparoscopic or endoscopic procedures typically is resected and thereafter simply engaged by a grasping element and pulled out of the body. In many instances, the removed tissue is infected or may contain cancerous cells. Under these circumstances it is highly desirable to avoid contact between the tissue being removed and other healthy tissue situated along the exit path for the removed tissue. The need for avoiding contact between the tissue being removed and the tissue situated along the exit path is particularly pronounced when, as is frequently the situation, the tissue situated along the exit path has been traumatized from insertion of the endoscope or trocar. Unfortunately, particularly when the surgical procedure is conducted in a closely confined space, such as during laparoscopic or endoscopic procedures, inadvertent contact between the infected or cancerous tissue being removed and healthy tissue situated along the exit path sometimes occurs. As a consequence, infected or metastatic cells from the resected tissue being removed may come into contact with healthy tissue and spread the infection or deposit metastatic cells on the healthy tissue.
Specimen retrieval bags are sometimes used for the removal of resected tissue or organs in endoscopic procedures. For example the Endopouch Retriever sold by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. includes two retractable support arms that are secured to the opening of a net-like specimen bag formed of polypropylene. By remotely retracting the support arms, the bag can be closed in a clinched position to secure specimens in the bag for removal from the body. These prior art specimen bags, however, are unsuitable for removal through an access channel of an endoscope or trocar and do not isolate the resected tissue from healthy tissue situated along the exit path. In addition, due to its large size, the resected tissue frequently is dimensionally incompatible with the relatively small size of and access channel extending through an endoscope or trocar. Consequently, the bag must be removed through an auxiliary opening into the body cavity formed by a separate incision, or the endoscope or trocar must be removed prior to the removal of the tissue.
Another endoscopic tissue retrieval apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,988 to Orban, III. In this latter-mentioned device, a pair of expandable hoop-like support members, spaced by a plurality of stuts support a flexible pouch. The device is slideably translatable within a lumen of an endoscope. When moved out of the distal end of the lumen, the hoop-like member automatically expands to open an end of the pouch. A pair of drawstrings are provided to close the hoop-like support members whenever a specimen is placed in the pouch. Among other disadvantages, the Orban device utilizes one of the tool channels of the endoscope, reducing the flexibility of the endoscope's usage. In addition, this pouch mechanism lacks the ability to dimensionally alter the specimen.